1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicle anti-collision systems and more particularly pertains to a new Anti-Collision System for providing an audible warning to a vehicle operator indicating that the collision time to an obstacle located ahead of the vehicle is less than a pre-determined warning time and for providing a braking pressure to the vehicle's hydraulic fluid braking system upon the condition that the collision time is less than a pre-determined danger time and that the vehicle brake pressure is under a pre-determined brake pressure limit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of vehicle anti-collision systems is known in the prior art. More specifically, vehicle anti-collision systems heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art vehicle anti-collision systems include U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,048; U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,509; U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,037; U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,118; U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,438 and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 282,725.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new Anti-Collision System. The inventive device includes a laser rangefinder mountable upon a front side of the vehicle for generating a first electronic signal, a self-speed determining means for generating a second electronic signal, a microcontroller for processing the first electronic signal to determine the distance between the vehicle and an obstacle located in front of the vehicle and for processing the second electronic signal to determine the self-speed of the vehicle, an alarm means functionally connected to the microcontroller for producing an alarm upon the receipt of an alarm signal from the microcontroller and a braking means functionally connected to the controller for applying a braking force to the vehicle upon the receipt of a braking signal from the microcontroller.
In these respects, the Anti-Collision System according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing an audible warning to a vehicle operator indicating that the collision time to an obstacle located ahead of the vehicle is less than a pre-determined warning time and for providing a braking pressure to the vehicle's hydraulic fluid braking system upon the condition that the collision time is less than a pre-determined danger time and that the vehicle brake pressure is under a pre-determined brake pressure limit.